Hose reel



Aug. 7, 1951 M, FOSTER 2,563,714

HOSE REEL Filed Sept. 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l g- 1951 E. M. FOSTER 2,563,714

HOSE REEL Filed Sept. 10, 1945 2 Sheecs-Sheet 2 I a7r' .Everaile 1 1 .Fosier Patented Aug. 7, 1951 HOSE REEL Everette M. Foster, Chicago, 111., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Illl, a corporation of Virginia Application September 10, 1945, Serial No. 615,367

12 Claims. (Cl. 242-407) The present invention relates to hose reels and more particularly to hose reels from which the hose may be unwound manually and in which the hose is rewound by power means such as a spring which is tensioned during the unwinding operation.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hose reel of the foregoing character having new and improved latching means for locking the hose after a desired length of the hose has been unwound from the reel whereby the unwound hose does not haveto be held manually while in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hose reel having latching means so constructed and arranged that it may be selectively conditioned for latching the reel against rewinding or for rewinding the hose upon initial movement of the hose reel through a short angle; such as 90", depending upon the initial condition of the latching means. When the reel is latched and the hose is pulled through at least the aforesaid 90, the latching means is unlatched so that the hose is wound upon the reel when released. Consequently, it is a simple matter for the user of the hose to condition the mechanism for rewindin the hose upon the reel. When unlatghed and the hose is pulled through at least the aforesaid 90; then the latching means is conditioned to latch the reel when the hose is released.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hose reel having latching means of the character aforesaid comprising cam means adapted to be rotated with the reel under certain conditions and to remain stationary under other conditions.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hose reel having latching means including a cam, a push bar associated with the cam, and a locking member selectively movable by the cam and bar into and out of a position whereat it engages a stationary stop.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a, new and improved hose reel of the characteraforesaid and especially one wherein the latchin means is unlocked by unwinding a short length of the hose so constructed and arranged that there always remains a short length of hose which can be unwound to release the latching means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description in the course of which reference is bad to. the; accompanying drawings in which:

Fifi

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hose reel. constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary axial cross sectional view through a hose reel constructed in accordance with the present invention, the view being taken along the line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3. is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken along the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and partly broken away, illustrating the latching means of the present invention conditioned for rewindin of the hose reel by the spring or in the condition obtaining when the hose, has been rewound to its full extent;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View illustrating the latching means conditioned for unwinding of the hose, and

Fig. 5 is a view simiilar to Fig. 4 illustrating the latching means in latched position, i. e., locking the hose reel against movement in rewinding direction.

The hose reel of the present invention may be utilized for various purposes but is particularly intended for use in connection with lubricating apparatus. Reference will be had first primarily to Fig. 1 in which the hose reel, indicated as a whole by reference character ID, is illustrated as being supported upon a base l2 by a pair of spaced apart vertical supports l4 having upwardly and forwardly extending arms [6. A pair of hose supporting and guiding'irollers I8 is mounted at the free endsof thearmsupon a pair" of spindles 20 affixed to the arnisi A hose ll is shown wound upon the reel to an extent limited by a bushing 24, which. maybe of rubber and suitably secured to the hose.

A lubricant dispensing nozzle 26 having a manually operable control handle 28 is connected to the outer end of the hose. Lubricant under pressure is supplied from a suitable source (not shown) to the hose through a conduit 38 connected to ahollow fitting 32- secured to the out-- side of one of the supports l4 andcornmunicat ing with the inner end of the hose in a manner A to be described in detail hereinafter.

The hose reel may take variou forms and it:

shaft by a nut 42 which is locked in place bye" 1:;

set screw 43.

lnfedby a smaller centrall-y aperturedplat s SQ sec ured to the side. plates 35. The plate 39 is secured to the shaft 7, adjacent a flange 40 formed, integral with thef ates/714 The hollow shaft 36 is rotatably supported upon the vertical supports 14. One end of the shaft is journaled in a tubular support 44, secured to a vertical support M by a plurality of bolts 45, by the spaced apart ball bearings 46 and 48, which serve also to prevent axial movement of the shaft. The ball bearings 48 are held in place by a retainer ring 49 threaded onto the exterior of the shaft 36 and fitting into an axial recess in the support 44. The other end of the shaft is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 50 secured to the other vertical support l4 by a bearing receiving support 52.

Lubricant is supplied to the hose through means including the previously referred to fitting 32 and hollow shaft 36, which are interconnected by a stationary tubular fitting 54. The fitting has an enlarged boss 56 at its outer end to which the fitting 32 is secured and an axial passageway 58 extending through and communicating with the'axial passageway 38 ofthe shaft. The shaft 36 rotates about the fitting 54 on the ball bearings 69 and a sleeve bearing 6|. The ball bearings are inserted into an annular groove 62 constituted by opposed semi-circular grooves in the fitting 54 and in .a sleeve 63 surrounding the fitting 54 and. detachably secured'in an axial recess at the outer end of the shaft 36. The bearings are inserted into the groove 62 through an opening 64 in the sleeve, which opening is later closed so that the fitting is prevented from moving axially with respect to the shaft but enabling the shaft to rotate around the fitting. Leakage of lubricant between the shaft and fitting is prevented by seal-defining packing 66.

The hose is connected to the inner end of the lubricant passageway 38 in the shaft by a short radially extending pipe 6! extending outside the axial portion of the spool 34. A coupling member 68 is secured to the outer end of the pipe so that the hose may be readily secured to the pipe. The hose is rewound upon the spool 35 by a spring which is tensioned during the unwinding of the hose. The spring is mounted within a housing 12 constituted by a flat side plate I4 and a cup-shaped combined end and side plate 16, secured to the spool supporting plate 39, as bywelding, and to the shaft by the lock nut 42. One end of the spring is connected to the housing plate 16 as by welding and a rivet l8 and the inner end of the spring is connected to the stationary support 44 by a stud 86. The spring with its housing is mounted within a centrally recessed portion of the spool, which recess is closed by a generally cup-shaped closure plate 82 secured to the adjacent vertical support l4-by the screws 45. The cover plate 82, it may be noticed, is spaced from the spring housing to provide space for the latching means of the present invention. The latching means of the present invention is so constructed and arranged that it looks the reel to remove tension from the hose after the desired length of hose has been unwound from the reel. Furthermore, it enables the reel simply to be unlatched for rewinding of the hose by the spring 19 when the lubrication operation is completed. The latching means includes a locking member selectively movable into and out of position to engage one of a plurality of stationary stops by movement of the reel or spool 34 through a small angle in the unwinding direction, which is accomplished readily by unwinding a short length of the hose. When the reel is latched, thenthe unwinding of a short length of hose releases the latching means so that the spring 4 can rewind the hose. When the hose has been rewound or as it is being rewound, the latching means can be conditioned for latching by unwinding a length of the hose.

The latching means is characterized further by a cam and pusher rod connection between the reel and locking member through which the latter is selectively controlled by the user.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the latching means of the present invention may be seen to include a plurality, preferably three, fixed stop 99, a locking member 92 selectively movable into or out of engagement with the stops 90, a movable push bar 94 having a cam lock 96 at its inner end, and a cam assembly indicated as a whole by reference character 99 movably mounted upon the axial support 44 and normally held relatively lightly against rotation.

The stationary stops -90, of which there are three, are preferably constituted by lugs stamped in'and extending inwardly of the closure plate 82. These lugs are equally spaced angularly'and are at the same radial distance from the shaft 36.

The locking member 92 is movably secured to the spool'and more specifically to the outer side of the side plate 14 of the spring housing. It is pivotally secured at one end to a pin I09, supported by a bracket I02 secured to the plate 14, as by a plurality of bolts I04. The locking member is biased to move radially inward about its pivot pin I08 by a spring I96 coiled around the pin and having one end I98 extending around the bracket I02 and its other end llll bearing against the locking'member, thus biasing the latter for movement in a clockwise direction around the pivot pin I99, i. e., radially inward.

In the released or unlatched' position, when the hose is being wound by the spring or has been wound to an extent limitedby the bushing 24, the locking member is so located that it moves in a path clear of the stops 99, as illustrated in Fig. 3, it being held in this position by the push bar 94, the position of which is controlled by the cam 98. When the reel is latched, the locking member 92 is in a position to engage the stops 99 and thus prevents movement of the reel to rewind the hose, as illustrated in Fig. 5. ,When the hose is being unwound, the locking member ratchets over the stops. The locking member is thus so disposed that it ratchets when the spool is moved in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3 to 5 butengages the stops when the spool is moved in a clockwise direction, in which direction it does move under the influence of the spring '10 when the hose is released.

The locking member 92 is preferably constructed with a channel shaped cross section, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, so that the end H6 of the spring is located between the sides of the member. The operative connection between the push bar 94 and the locking member 92 includes a flange H2 formed integrally with and at the lower side of one of the sides of the locking 7 member, also as best illustrated in Fig. 2. It

inner end of the push bar as by a pivot pin I Hi. It is loose upon the bar except for a slight constraint applied thereto by a biasing spring II8,

which also serves to bias the push bar radially inward. The spring is coiled intermediate its ends about a supporting pin I20 secured to the plate I4. One end I22 of the spring bears against the underside of the cam lock thereby to constrain it slightly against angular movement. The other end I 24 of the spring is secured to the guide plate H4, which is provided with suitable lugs for holding the spring.

The cam lock is so constructed and arranged that when the spool is rotated in a counterclockwise direction by unwinding of the hose, the spool, push bar and cam lock rotate relative to the cam for a predetermined angular distance, preferably 90 as illustrated, whereupon the cam lock locks the cam for rotation with the spool. The cam is so constructed that in certain angular positions the locking member 92 is clear of the stops 90, and in angular positions 90 removed therefrom the locking member 92 is in position to engage the fixed stops when the hose is released for rewinding by the spring. The locking member 92 ratchets over the stops when the hose is being unwound.

The cam lock includes a pair of angularly spaced apart arms or pawl means I30 and I32, the former of which is shorter than the latter and of greater width and serves to move the longer arm I32 to lock the cam for rotation with the spool.

The cam 99 includes two. portions I34 and I36, the latter of which is located at the outside and has a series of angularly spaced apart slots I38. Otherwise the cams are identical in construction and both include, preferably but not necessarily, a first pair of diametrically oppositely located shoulders I40 and I42 extending radially inward a lesser distance than a second pair of diametrically opposite shoulders I 44 and I 46 located equidistantly between the shoulders I40 and I42. The shoulders are interconnected by rises having a generally elliptical shape. Each slot I38 and the adjacent shoulder may be termed a pair of ratchet means.

The cam 98 is lightly restrained against movement by a pair of friction discs I50 engaging the sides of the cams I34 and I36 and made of suitable material, such as fiber. The friction discs, which are annular in shape and surround the axial support 44, are held against the cams by retaining rings I52 non-rotatably secured to the support. The rings are preferably nonrotatably secured to the support by tongues I54 extending radially inward into a slot I56 formed in the support. The inner ring is prevented from moving axially along the support by a spring ring I60 and the outer retainer ring is held in 'place by a spacing ring I62 located between it and the closure plate 82. The ring I62 is dimensioned so that the cam is frictionally restrained against rotation by approximately two inch-pounds.

The operation of the. hose reel will next be described with particular reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5. As heretofore indicated, Fig. 3 illustrates the apparatus at a time when the hose is fully wound or at. some intermediate position being rewound. It is assumed, for the purpose of this description, that the hose is fully wound.

If a person desires to use the lubricating apparatus, the hose is. manually unwound to the desired extent. When the hose is unwound, the

spool 34 is rotated in a counterclockwise dimetion as viewed in Figs. 3 to 5. The initial rotation of the spool results in the movement of the locking member 92 and the push bar 94 with the spool around the cam 98, the plates I34 and I36of which are held stationary by the friction plates I50. The push bar is moved radially outward as the cam follower portion I I5 moves along the elliptical cam surface. When the spool has moved about the push bar 94 is urged in-. wardly as it moves beyond the shoulder I46 by the springs I06 and H8. The shorter arm I30 of the cam lock 96 remains on the high part of the cam with the result that the springs are effective to rotate the cam lock in a counter-. clockwise direction about the pivot II6, whereby the longer arm I92 falls into the slot I38 immediately forward of the shoulder I46. The slot I38 has an angular length such that there is about A" lost motion, 1. e., the cam lock is moved angularly so that the longer arm falls into the slot I38 after which the cam lock may be moved about further. At this time the cam lock occupies a position substantially as indicated in Fig. 4 so that with a slight additional angular movement of the spool, the cam lock 96 locks the cam for rotation with the spool, the longer arm I32 engaging the side of the recess.

When the cam and spool are thus locked for simultaneous rotation as the hose is being unwound, the looking member 92 is moved radially inwardly by the spring I06 with the result that the locking member moves in a path wherein it engages the stationary stops 90. However, when the hose is being unwound, the locking member 92 ratchets over the stops 90, it moving angus,

larly about its pivot I00 in a counterclockwise direction wheneverit engages a stop.

When the hose is released after a desired length has been unwound, the spring I0, which was previously tensioned, rotates the spool in a clockwise direction. The spool carries with it the push bar 94 of the cam locking member until the shorter arm I39 of the cam lock 96 engages the shoulder I46 whereupon the cam is also rotated in rewinding direction. The entire assembly rotates in a rewinding direction until the locking member 92 engages a stop 90, as indicated in Fig.

5f, whereupon the reel is latched and all tension isremoved from the hose and the user of the lubricating apparatus may use it readily and at will.

To unlatch the hose for either partial or complete rewinding, it, is necessary only to unwind a short length of the hose. When the hose is pulled from the latched position illustrated in Fig. 5, the cam following portion II5 of the push bar 94 rises along the elliptical cam surface untilthe shoulder I40 is reached. The fall off shoulder I40 is shorter than the fall off shoulder I46, with the result that when the push bar does fall off the shoulder I40, the locking member 92 is held radially outward a distance such that it does not engage stops 90. In other words, the push bar is again maintained at a position substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. As the push bar falls off the shoulder I40, the cam lock 96 again pivots, to lock the cams for rotation with the spool, so that the user does not have to be unduly careful in unwinding an exact length of the hose, If a greater length of the hose. is unwound, it makes no difference because the cam is locked for rotation with the spool. When the hose is released, the 512901 is, rotated in the rewinding direction by the ring 10 and. the. push bar and,

' 'Ihe hose may be completely rewound simply by letting the spring completely rewind the hose. However, if it is desired to have the hose only partly rewound, then the hose may be grasped and unwound again-to the desired extent. When it is thus grasped and unwound through a length sufiicient to turn the spool 90, then the push bar is moved from engagement with shoulder M to the shoulder 1M, whereat it moves radially inward a greater distance again to lock the cam for movement with the spool and to condition the locking member 92 for engagement with the stops 90 as heretofore described.

In orderthat there always remain a sufiicient length of hose to enable the latching mechanism to be released even when the full usable length of the hose has been withdrawn, only three stops are provided whereas there are four shoulders. Accordingly, the length of hose placed upon the reel may be so chosen that when the reel is' latched fully withdrawn there still remains a short length of hose on the reel sufficient to enable the reel to be moved at least 90 in unwinding direction to effect-the release of the latching means.

While but a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that the details thereof are not to be construed as limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A reel, including in combination, a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewinding direction, a stationary stop, and means including cam means frictionally restrained against rotation and latching means cooperatively asso ciated with said cam means, stop and spool, said latching means being movable angularly with the spool and radially by said cam means for latching said spool against rotation in rewinding direction.

2. A reel, including in combination, a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewind ing direction, a plurality of angularly spaced apart stationary stops, means including cam means frictionally restrained against rotation and latching means cooperatively associated with said cam means, stops and spool, said latching means being movable angularly with the spool and radially by said cam means for latching said spool against rotation in rewinding direction, said last mentioned means including cam operated latching means operating means for locking said cam means for rotation with the spool after a predetermined relative angular movement between said spool and cam means.

3. A reel, including in combination, a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewinding direction, a plurality of angularly spaced apart stationary stops, and means including frictionally restrained cam means, latching means movably mounted on said spool cooperatively associated with said stops, latching means operating means cooperatively associated with said cam and stops mounted for radial movement on said spool, and means mounted at the cam end of said operating means effective to lock said cam means to said spool upon predetermined angular movement between said cam means and spool for selectively latching said spool against rotation in d rewindingdirectionor unlatching said spool for rotation in rewinding'direction.

4. A reel, including in combination, a rotatable spool, means 'for rotating said spool in'a rewinding direction, a plurality of angularly spaced apart stationary stops, and means including frictionally restrained cam means having a plurality of angularly spaced apart shoulders falling to different radial distances from the axis of rotation of said spool, latching means movably mounted on said spool cooperatively associated with said stops, a latching means operating bar cooperatively associated with said cam and latching means mounted for radial tion in rewinding direction or unlatching said spool 'for rotation in rewinding direction, said cam locking means includin angularly extending recesses in said cam means adjacent said shoulders, and a cam locking member pivotally.

mounted upon said bar and including a portion movableinto said recesses and another portion engageable with said shoulders.

5. A reel, including in combination, a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewinding direction, a plurality of angularly spaced apart stationary stops, frictionally restrained cam means having a plurality of an gularly spaced apart shoulders falling to different radial distances from the axis of rotation of said spool, latching means movably mounted on said spool cooperatively associated with said stops and operable into a position to engage said stops when adjacent the shoulders falling nearest said axis and into a position to clear said stops when adjacent the other shoulders, a latching means operating bar cooperatively associated with said cam and latching means mounted for radial movement on said spool,

means resiliently urging said .bar toward said cam means, and cam locking means mounted at the cam end of said operating means effective to lock said cam means to said spool, said cam locking means including angularly, extending recesses in said cam means adjacent said shoulders, and a cam locking member pivotally mounted upon said bar and including a portion movable into said recesses and another portion,

engageable with said shoulders.

.6. A reel including in combination, a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewinding direction, a plurality of angularly spaced apart stationary stops, frictionally restrained cam means having a plurality of angularly spaced apart shoulders falling to different radial distances from the axis of rotation of said spool, latching means pivotally mounted on said spool cooperatively associated with said stops and operable into a position to engage said stops when adjacent the shoulders falling nearest said axis and into a position to clear said stops when adjacent the other shoul- 9 adjacent said shoulders, and a cam locking member pivotally mounted upon said bar and including a portion movable into said recesses and another portion engageable with said shoulders, said second mentioned sprin means restraining movement of said cam locking member.

7. A reel as claimed in claim 6, wherein there are three of said stationary stops and said cam means has four shoulders spaced substantially 90 from each other.

8. A reel including a rotatable spool, means for rotating said spool in a rewinding direction, latching means comprising a stop and a latch engageable with said stop for preventing rewinding movement of said spool, one of said latch or stop being stationary and the other being movable with said spool, said latching means including also a latch operating member engaging with said latch and a cam for moving said latch operating member, said cam being frictionally restrained against rotation but movable in both rewinding and unwinding directions with the spool.

, 9. A reel, including in combination, first and second relatively rotatable means, one of the means being a spool and the other being supporting means rotatably carrying the spool; means for rotating the spool in a rewinding direction; stop means mounted on said first means; cam means mounted for rotation coaxially with respect to said first and second means; means frictionally restraining the cam means against rotation with respect to said first means; latching means movably mounted on said second means for engaging with said stop means, the latching means including cam engaging means riding on the cam means; and cam locking means on the cam engagin means to lock said cam means to said cam engaging means upon predetermined angular movement between said cam means and said cam engaging means for selectively latching said spool against rotation in rewinding direction or latching said spool for rotation in rewinding direction.

10. A reel, including in combination, first and second relatively rotatable means, one of the means being a spool and the other being supporting means rotatably carrying the spool; means for rotating the spool in a rewinding direction; stop means mounted on said first means; cam means mounted for rotation cOaXially with respect to said first and second means; means frictionally restraining the cam means against rotation with respect to said first means; latching means movably mounted on said second means for engaging with said stop means selectively to restrain rewinding rotation of the spool, I

the latching means including cam engaging means riding on the cam means; the cam means including alternate portions having different elevations for moving said latching means alternately to clear and engage said stop means; said cam means having pairs of ratchet respec tively adjacent said portions, and said cam engaging means having cam locking means including a pair of pawl means, selectively to lock the cam means to the cam engaging means.

11. A reeling mechanism, including a pair of relatively rotatable means, one of the means being a spool and the other being means rotatably supporting the spool; means for rotating the spool in a rewinding direction; and latching means including a stop, a latch engageable with the stop for preventing rewinding movement of the spool, a latch operating member engaging the latch, and a cam for moving the latch operating member; the latch and the latch operating member being mounted on one of said pair and the stop being mounted on the other, the cam being mounted for rotation coaxially with respect to said pair, the latching means also including frictional means restraining the cam from rotation with respect to said other of said pair on which the stop is mounted.

12. A reeling apparatus, including a pair of relatively rotatable means, one of the means being a spool and the other being means rotatably supporting the spool; means for rotating the spool in a rewinding direction; a latch operating cam mounted for rotation coaxially with respect to the spool and the supporting means; latching means operatively connected with the cam, movably mounted on one of the pair, and engageable with the other for preventing rewinding movement of the spool; and means restraining the cam to resist rotation of the cam with respect to said other of the pair.

EVERE'I'IE M. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 345,309 Klein July 13, 1886 743,856 Funk Nov. 10, 1903 1,948,158 Barr Feb. 20, 1934 2,270,283 Ewald Jan. 20, 1943 2,375,917 Gross May 15, 1945 2,391,840 Meletti Dec. 25, 1945 

